Air compressor



March" 4, J 1 930.'

G. GUNDERSON AIR COMPRESSOR Filed Nov. 22, 1928 2 Sheejas-Sheet l March 4, 19.3.0. I GUNDERSQN 1,748,979

' AIR COMPRESSOR Filed Nov 22, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lamented; Ma 4, i939 f GILBERT 'eulvnnasorr; on renews FALLS, 'MINNEsoTA ram 2 I AIR COMPRESSOR Application filed November 22, 192-8. Serial No. 321,172.

. 'lhisizwerition relates to air'compressors and 'hasfor 1ts principal Ob ect to produce a simple form of such device which may be depended upon .to produce a continuous air pressure whilein motion. ,7

Another" object is to produce such a' device having storage capacity for fair compressed thereby when not otherwiseutiliz'ed, the use of such storage-capacity occurringjautomati- Cally, V V V Other objects advantages of the in? Vention will appear infthe"furtheu dSCripf .tion thereof. v I

Referring now to theaccompanyi'ng drawing, forming partof the application, and

,whereinlike reference .;;oharacter's' indicate likepartsz a Figure l is'a front'elevationof the compressor embodying myxinvention, and

Figure 2 is a central Vertical section taken on the line 22 of Figure '1. I

1 represents the base of a circular upright structure formed integral with one side thereof and which. includes the back wall of the housing for the compressor runner or rotor.

' Axially of this wall there extends rearwardly the tapered or conically shaped extension 2 of the housing, itbeing hollow and'terminating in the tapered nozzle or discharge opening 3, while upon the upper side thereof is formed integrally therewith a reservoir or chamber 4, .it being narrower adjacent the conically. shaped portion. 2, and wider as it extends upwardly, the side walls being in dicated at 5 in Figure 1 of the drawings.

- A semi-circularly shaped hollow extension 6 is formed integral with the uppermost portion of the back wall and reservoir which forms an inlet chamber 7 for the compressor, there being twodepending pipes or passageways 8 leading one from each end of theinlet chamber.

Circular disc-like members which contain :the inlet chambers for the rotor are installed,

within the housing, the one indicated at 9' against the face of the upright wall justdescribed, and the other indicated at 10 intermediate of the outermost portion. of the ex tension 6 and'theoutermost edge of the base v portion 1, and to which portions it may be securely attached in any desired manner,- thus forming a space lntermedlate of the ntake chamber disc for the headllof therot'or.

The body portion of the rotor is indicated at 12 it being'of conical shape and fittingloosely within the core of-the conically shaped extension 2 of the housing previously described,

simply as a guide and suitable dischargecon? the eXtension2; M A circular chamberv 13' lS'fOI'HlQCllIl each-in nection between the casingand outer'iend of take chamber disc,"sa'id chambers being semis clrcular in cross sectlonasclearly shown n Figure'2 of the drawings, theyeachlextend ing' whollyabout their respective discsfand communicating with" their respective'tintake chambers 8. r Intermediate of each face of thero toif'head 11 and its-respective intake disctand; recessed within each intake disc isinstalled;a portring '14, the'ports 17in said rings being circular openings somewhat smaller in diameter than the width of the semi-circularly shape-d intake chambers and communicating with same, however being peculiar in'th-is respect that the ports as viewed from the"front of the compressor are 'altern'ate or staggered, that is to saynot opposite, so that theingress of air 'to' the "head of the compressor-occurs alternately from either'si'de thereof. I The head and hubof therotor are of a i i-f) unitary. piece of metal as clearly illustrated} f and circumferentially about} either weaieai face thereof and adj acent t'heperipheral edge are formed arcuately s'haped ports--l5'-,{-in pairs, one facing the outermost i'ntake di sC and the other the rea-rmostintake dig bat, as beforedescribed, 'one willbecommunieating with said intake port when the other will be closed to said opposite port. However each pair of intake ports 15 of the rotor head form the mouth of a helically shaped port or passageway indicated at 16 through the head of the rotor and emerging from the interior of the head of the rotor just inward The discharge orifice 3 of the hub 2 enters the hollow cap 22 which is tapped as at 23 and connected to any suitable take-off where the compressed air is utilized. From the chamber 24 within thecap 22 a passageway leads as at 25 to the tube 26 within the reservoir 4l,'this tube leading directly to the chamber 7 in the intake extension 6, and the port 25 is governed as for example by the valve operating bell-crank 27 so that when the compressor is generating an abnormal cur rent and the air returned to the rotor head by means of the passageway just described, a branch take-off 28 will permit of the reservoir being automatically filled or maintain ing a uniform pressure with that of the return pipe 26. Air under pressure may be tapped from the reservoir 4 in any desired manner when expedient.

The intake air supply to the extension 6 is controlled by a suitable piston valve, the housing of which is indicated at 29, the valve at 30, the expansive spiral spring 31 above the valve and a like spring 32 below the valve, there being ports 34 through the housing so that whensufficient suction occurs the piston will be drawn downwardly and air admitted through the angle ports 33 in the piston and 34: in the sides of the housing; and a suitable cap or hood-like cover 35 is provided for the valve, which latter is preferably mounted upon a squared fixed stem 39 depending within the valve housing.

As is obvious the power generated by the rotor operated in a clockwise direction as viewed by the front thereof is centripetal, and due to the tapered or cornucopia like form of the intake ports of the rotor, a high speed thereof will produce remarkably efficient results, and these ports being spiral in form throughout tend to drive the air forc ibly axially of the compressor, and the intake ports being staggered and opposite, a beneficial pulsation of the motor is obvious to those versed in the art.

Having thus described my invention, what about I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: V

1. A. centripetal air compressor of the character described including a rotor having an axial extension thereupon, a plurality of helically shaped air passageways in the head with the air chamber and rotor head ports.

3. An air compressor of the class described including a housing having an air chamber and an air reservoir therein, means for the intake and exhaust of air to said chambe,r, a rotor having air passageways upon either side thereof communicating with the air chamber, and selective means whereby air compressed by the rotor may or may not be admitted to the air reservoir.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GILBERT GUNDERSON. 

